Ben Foster shares why Steve Clarke sold Chris Wood at West Brom
Ben Foster has revealed that Steve Clarke sold Chris Wood at West Brom because he was “too big” and “too slow”.
The New Zealand international has started the Premier League season on fire with Nottingham Forest, scoring seven goals in his opening nine games.
This is a far cry from his spell at The Hawthorns and now the ex-Albion keeper Foster has shared the 32-year-old was let go by Clarke.
Speaking on the Football Fill-In on 29 October, he said: “I was with him when he was at West Brom as a kid. I think it was Steve Clarke the manager at the time let him go, just let him go fully. He was like, no, sorry Chris, you’re too big, you’re too slow, you’re too cumbersome.
“Didn’t even get a sniff, didn’t even get a look in.”
Ben Foster shares Chris Wood admission at West Brom
The striker has been superb at almost every club he has landed at which makes it all the more bizarre why he was never handed a chance for the Albion.
Wood has played for the likes of Leicester City, Leeds United, Burnley and Forest since leaving The Hawthorns and has never been viewed as a glamourous player.
With that being said, there is no doubt that he is effective and this has seen him score over 10 goals in 10 different seasons across his career.
This campaign has seen him catch the eye in the Premier League with his performances for Nottingham Forest which has propelled them to seventh in the table.
With all this being said, the cutthroat nature of Clarke in getting rid of Wood so soon has proved to be a mistake in the long term.
This is all the more clear given that the Baggies are in the Championship but do find themselves with a positive front man in Josh Maja.
In other West Brom news, Carlos Corberan has been sent a clear message by a loan star after what he has done.
For more West Brom news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.